37. Hunt
Hunt
The barbeque is in full swing. The sun's setting in the distance, and everyone's enjoying the burgers and brats I made.
I've already delivered a platter of food to the book club inside.
They thanked me, and Clara assured me that once they were all done talking about us, they'd be out.
That omega is spunky. Some pack is going to have a lot of fun with her one day.
I prefer my Sunshine's communication, which involves kissing me soundly and shooing me from the room.
Cole and Luca are talking to Bax, a broad man with dark brown skin and short-cropped hair.
The Evergreen Pack insists they don't have a dominant alpha, but he certainly shows every sign of it.
He's steady, and exerts a certain pull that only dominant alphas tend to display.
It's possible he won't fully designate as such until he's older.
The older an alpha gets, the clearer their dominance tends to shine through.
Seth, a man with a sandy top knot and beard, and Jess are getting along.
They're laughing and shooting the shit about sports and some trending stuff on social media.
I clench my jaw and try not to let the acid burning in my gut show on my face.
There's no reason for it. Seth is happily bonded and—as far as I can tell—not even interested in his other gorgeous, male packmates.
So he's probably not interested in mine.
Jess catches me staring, smiles broadly, and winks.
I instantly go back to minding my burgers.
We eat, and I end up talking with Connor, the redhead and chef of their group.
I ask him for a few pointers and he's happy to share.
He tells me about mixing different meats for burgers, something I had no idea you could do, spices that might help, and by the end of the night, I feel excited to try again at the next barbecue.
When I look up from Connor and my conversation, Jess stares at me, jaw clenched. Something hard in his eyes.
So, I smile and wink.